Monthly Archives: October 2012

A few weeks ago, I asked readers to submit wacky hat pictures, either hats they owned, or ones they designed. The winner would receive a jack-o-lantern (designed and carved by yours truly) and Sun-Staches mustache glasses, and the runner-up would also get some ‘stache glasses.

And now the time has come to announce the winner(s).

So. Let’s not waste any time here, Chipmunks. There’s candy to steal and kids to traumatize!

1st Place

Runner-Up

Congratulations, Ladies! Now, let’s kick this Monster Mash up a notch… Misty, here is part one of your prize, a custom jack-o-lantern from yours truly – featuring your favorite mac and cheese maker! (Wait for it…)

THE DESIGN

This will all make sense soon. If you know Misty. If not, it’s still cool. …Right? Well hey. Ha. I had fun.

THE TRANSFER

While I designed this pattern, I used the Pumpkin Masters method of poking holes into the pumpkin to transfer the pattern. And no, they didn’t compensate me in any way to say that. In fact, never mind. I transferred this pattern using only the powers of my mind.

THE FINISHED PRODUCT

There are So. Many. Jokes. about Cracker Barrel here. But I won’t. Because I love Misty. And mac and cheese is delicious, wherever it comes from.

Congratulations, Misty and Speaker7! I’ll be in touch via email to award you with all that is ‘stache-y.

Thank you so much for playing along, Chipmunks! This contest is one of my faaaavorite things. EVER.

Well, by the time you’re reading this, I may be under water and/or without power thanks to Hurricane Sandy, but luckily, your favorite project manager planned ahead!

A BIG thank you to the below “Hold Onto Your Hats” contest entrants – you just really get it, don’t you? I’ll announce the winner and runner-up at 6am EST on Halloween (Wednesday, October 31st), as planned!

Click on any of the pictures to access the entrant’s blog page. (Yeah. That’s right. We’re fancy at Go Jules Go. Wait’ll you see Wednesday’s post.) Listed in the order in which they were received:

Thanks again, Chipmunks! Stay safe out there – and by that I mean, let someone else check your candy for razor blades. You don’t have time for that. You’ve got blogs to read.

Oh my. I haven’t seen too many Halloween Contest entries yet, but I’m sure it’s not because you doubt my gourd-cutting prowess. I think all of us Chipmunks are going a little… No. No. No, I’m not going to say nuts.

I am above such feeble puns.

But I am not above this.

And you deserve better.

You deserve, say, a custom jack-o-lantern from your pal Jules! And a pair of Sun-Staches mustache glasses! Yeah!

Also? I’m sorry I’ve been pretty M.I.A. lately; lots of fun things to share with you soon. In the meantime, please know that you and blogging are an important part of my life. I really mean that. I hope it makes you as uncomfortable as my coworker [with the bell peppers] would be if he read this post.***

Last Thursday, I asked you to submit a comment describing a sibling rivalry or ridiculous parental rule, and of course, you didn’t disappoint.

It’d make sense for me to now tell you some memorable sibling rivalry stories, but who wants to hear about the time I crushed my brother’s finger in the sliding door of Babs’ van, or when he sent me to the ER by hurling a baseball cap at my face and scratching my retina? I’m sure you don’t want to see the scars my sister has from both of us. Nah!

It’s time to announce the winner! This lucky guy or gal ‘munk gets a free 11 x 16-inch canvas print from Printcopia.

A print like the one I just gave my sis for her birthday:

Wait, you’re probably thinking, what’s going on in that picture?

Oh, well, thank you for asking.

Babs asked Peppermeister and I to leave Uncle Jesse at home on Saturday for my sister’s birthday celebration, because my niece would be there and she’s allergic to dogs.

An abomination!

Obviously, we couldn’t have him missing out on the festivities.

Isn’t he so cute? That pic is life-size, too, because he’s a li’l nugget. Wait…what were we doing again?

Oh right – the winner of the canvas print!

In typical blonde fashion, I forgot to find out if I could award the prize to non-U.S. residents, so I’ve selected a winner and a runner-up. If the winner can’t cash in on the canvas print, I’ll personally send them Sun-Staches ‘stache glasses instead, and the runner-up will receive the canvas print. Otherwise, the runner-up will receive the ‘stache glasses.

The Winner

asoulwalker!

I like the way you operate, my friend. And might I suggest your long-awaited revenge include a bag ‘o back hair?

Dear Sis,

Who made you that cake, Sis? Not some g.d. slouch, I’ll tell you that much.

Today you turn thirty…something. But don’t worry – you don’t look a day over 18! Must be all of that running and biking and swimming and not drinking and how are we related again?

Being the kind, compassionate sibling I am, I thought this was the perfect opportunity to remind you of my forthcoming inheritance. I mean, ha ha, the family’s not getting any younger, are they? (Are we? Are you? Is that what’s going on here? Families don’t keep secrets, Sis.)

Anyway, like I was saying. My inheritance: Babs’ photo albums.

Oh yes. Remember when I staked my claim long, long ago? As a kid, younger than you as ever, I’d creep into Mom’s craft area (by the way, nice of you to share part of your room for that), sit on the floor, and flip through her photo albums for hours.

Even before scrapbooking was ‘in,’ Babs created masterpieces. I’ve yet to see photo albums that rival hers. Oh, except yours, of course.

And one day? They’re mine. All mine.

Don’t worry, Sis, I’ll take pictures of the pages any time you want.

Of course, Uncle Jesse will be in all of them.

To soothe any hard feelings, I got you this lovely 11 x 14-inch canvas print from Printcopia.

There you are, right in the middle. I’d have competed too, but, you know. Don’t want to spill the drink.

Well. Technically they gave it to me. For free.

But it’s the thought that counts, right?

What’s more, Printcopia said I could give one away to a lucky reader! Yeah! Doesn’t that make you happy, too, Sis? To give something to one of my blog readers?

Happy Birthday! You’re welcome.

Love,

Jul

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Let’s just say Babs is better with scrapbooking than she is with haircuts.

You heard correctly, Chipmunks – and all you have to do for a chance to win a free 11 x 14-inch canvas print like mine (but, you know, with your own pic… No you can’t use this one. Don’t be weird. Weird was so three days ago. Now we’re being satirical) from Printcopia is leave a comment below telling me a sibling rivalry story. If you don’t have any siblings, what ridiculous rules did your parents have when you were growing up?

Deadline: 8am EST, SUNDAY, OCTOBER 14th.

I will announce a favorite answer at 6am EST on Monday, October 15, 2012. The winner will receive a promotional code from Printcopia via email and can order their free print online, just like I did (it’s easy peasy)! Cool beans, Printcopia! Thanks!

As you might recall, I had to create a basic web page featuring certain elements like an image and a list. Since content doesn’t matter in this kind of class, I thought it was the perfect opportunity to show my eccentric side. And yours. Thank you for your phenomenally weird suggestions. I think we can all agree we made my professor and classmates uncomfortable had fun.

Here’s the web page I we came up with (click on either image to enlarge):

No, it’s not giving the middle finger. I never said I was good at this.

Last fall, when this blog was still called Go Guilty Pleasures!, I asked readers to make a 30-second video blog about a favorite guilty pleasure. The winner received a custom jack-o-lantern, designed and carved by yours truly.

Imagine apple picking with THIS.

I know. As if fall wasn’t already the Darren Criss of seasons.

I had so much fun with it, I immediately started thinking about next year’s contest. Video blogs are tricky; I wanted something easier for participants.

Then this happened:

Did you hear Renée likes to win? (rasjacobson.com)

And this happened:

Donah, aren’t slap bracelets royally awesome? (sweetjellybean.com)

And it hit me. I love hats. All hats. It’s, without a doubt, a top guilty pleasure. Thus, I bring to you:

The Rules

Design a hat incorporating something fun / funny / silly that speaks to your inner chipmunk. Use ANYTHING, so long as you can find a way to put it on your head and take a picture.

If you want to stay anonymous, you can put the hat on a pet or stuffed animal, or I will gladly superimpose a head of your my choosing onto the picture before posting it.

Chipmunks, this is undoubtedly the most polarizing post I’ve ever published.

If you make it through, I’ll know where we stand.

Once upon a time, this came into my life:

Wait for it…

Maybe I should back up. Speaking of backs, that’s a bag of back hair.

My father-in-law’s back hair.

Still with me? Okay, good. It really makes perfect sense. You see, a guy’s gotta shave his back, and my mother-in-law heard sprinkling hair around the perimeter of your property keeps deer away.

And if the deer are away, Peppermeister‘s (Husband #1) garden is safe.

And everybody’s happy.

Though this was a surprise to us, it was like it was meant to be. Like recycling between father and son. Mother Nature at work.

…No? Are you saying you’re against recycling and Mother Nature? You probably just want us to shoot those poor deer, don’t you? Wow.

The day we were given the back hair, my sister-in-law (SIL) caught sight of the exchange, and, well… She was less than pleased. Disgusted might be the word. Yeah. That’s the one.

So, naturally, there was only one thing to do.

Before we left the family gathering that night, Peppermeister hid the bag ‘o back hair in SIL’s cooler. Specifically, the cooler where she keeps her children’s food.

Because…obviously.

Over the next few months, we found various unsettling ways to keep the back hair traveling between each other’s houses. It landed anywhere but scattered around the perimeter of our house, clearly destined for greatness.

And then it went missing. For months.

Until last Saturday, when I did my yearly cleaning.

Well played.

Thank god. I should really clean more often.

Do you have any ongoing pranks / inside jokes that tickle your back hair fancy?